The partnership brings together the expertise of Voi, a Swedish micro-mobility company offering electric scooter sharing in cities and local communities, and Captur, a software platform that helps companies manage photo evidence of rentals, with the aim to resolve issues faster.
The three companies will create a simple way for road users to locate, navigate and report any misplaced scooters that may cause concern to the public. It is hoped the collaboration will empower the e-scooter operator and local authorities to make more informed decisions, making the necessary adjustments to the service or infrastructure to create safer and more inclusive cities.
“Mobility is an essential part of every human being. Micro-mobility is here to stay supplementing the wider MaaS ecosystem in smart cities like London. It is very encouraging to see Voi Technology proactively collaborating with CityMaaS and Captur to help prevent and resolve nuisance or inappropriate rider behaviour, and its impact on local residents, particularly disabled people.” - Rene Perkins, Founder and CEO, CityMaaS.
Voi’s API integration with CityMaaS Mobility Map Platform will allow CityMaaS to share the location of Voi e-scooters in its real-time travel information, which is available for free for disabled people.
CityMaaS users will also be able to report any scooters causing concern. Anyone who finds a Voi e-scooter misplaced can report its exact location and the issue by scanning a QR code located on the base of the scooter, and submitting a photo.
The platform uses machine learning to predict any missing accessibility data with an accuracy of 80%, enabling the community to crowd-source real-time travel information to help each other to overcome travel obstacles in smart cities.
Voi is conducting a trial with London based software platform, Captur. Backed by Google for Startups and Innovate UK, Captur is an all-in-one tool for capturing and managing photo evidence. The company partners with rental and subscription-based businesses to help identify and resolve damage quickly, and uses machine learning to automatically identify and prioritise issues.
Charlotte Bax, Founder, Captur, said: “We’ve seen how COVID-19 has sped up adoption of new green modes of transport as people look for safer, more convenient ways of travelling. The future of transportation is on-demand, with new subscription and pay-as-you-ride shared e-scooters and bikes popping up all over our cities.
“By partnering with Voi to enable anyone to capture evidence of damage or potential hazards, we hope to drive the shift from antisocial behaviour to a shared responsibility for our neighbourhoods and cities. We believe that inclusive, open-access technology is the key to building trust – between operators, councils, and city dwellers.”
This integration will be live at the beginning of 2021.
